The Voyage of the Mayflower
a poem for kids

The pilgrims wanted to move home
To live in a distant country.
They had heard of a brand new world
On the other side of the sea

They said goodbye to all their friends
Who said “Bon Voyage, and farewell.”
Then they sailed off in two big boats,
The Mayflower and the Speedwell.

They set out from England happy
With lots of singing and laughter
But then the Speedwell sprung a leak
And started to fill with water!

As the water was gushing in
They said “We’re sinking, we’re sinking!
We’ll never get to the new world
I don’t know what we were thinking!”

The pilgrims were very worried
But suddenly they heard a voice!
It was the Mayflower's captain,
And what he said made them rejoice.

“Do you think I would leave you sinking
When there’s room in my boat for you?
Climb aboard, we’ll soon be sailing,
We've room for 102.”

And all of them did go on board,
Even though was quite a squeeze.
For many days and weeks and months,
The pilgrims sailed across the seas.

Storms blew hard and the Mayflower
Was tossed around on waves and foam,
But the pilgrims were determined
That they would get to their new home.

After 66 days and nights,
They finally sighted some land,
Although it was not actually
The original place they'd planned.

They sailed around for a bit more
Looking for somewhere safe to dock,
Eventually they settled down
At a place they called Plymouth Rock.

They found some natives living there
Who all seemed to be kind and good.
The pilgrims were very hungry
And the natives gave them some food.

They gave them some pumpkin, some corn,
Some venison, and some turkey.
The thanksgiving meal that they shared
Became a part of history.

The Mayflower and the pilgrims
Survived their big relocation,
And their children’s children’s children
Became a mighty nation.



Captain Jones led the 102 pilgrims, plus crew, out of Southampton on the famous ship. The Speedwall had been abandoned as unseaworthy – there was a suspicion it was sabotaged by the crew, who did not want to go on the long journey. As a result the Mayflower was severely overcrowded and nearly half those on board died. Those that survived settled in Boston.

If you would like to find out more, see www.mayflowerhistory.com



Back to American History from the Mayflower